Scourge (Warcraft)

The Scourge are an army of undead that feature in Warcraft.

History

The Scourge were an army of undead who were the creations of the demonic forces of the Burning Legion. Their creation was linked to their efforts in bringing about their rule and control over Azeroth. The Legion's initial plans using the Horde failed with the defeat of the Orcs and the destruction of their world of Draenor. One of the survivors of Draenor was the Orc shaman Ner'zhul who was transformed into the Lich King and sent into the cold north of Northrend in Azeroth. Once there, he used his new power in taking control of the dead to form an army that became the Scourge with the Lich King being overseen by the Nathrezim Dreadlords led by Tichondrius. Thus, the Scourge's mission was to spread terror and destruction in order to pave the way for the Burning Legion's eventual invasion. The first obstacle in their plan was the Nerubians native to the cold north leading to the War of the Spider. The undead were nearly defeated due to the Nerubians immunity to the plague in this conflict but ultimately their foe was defeated and their corpses was reanimated to join their army.

The Lich King, now uncontested in the ice realm of Northrend where he ruled from the Frozen Throne, unleashed the terrible Plague of Undeath southward into human lands. As the plague encroached on the southlands, countless humans fell prey to Ner'zhul's mental control and life-draining sickness every day. With the help of Kel'Thuzad and the Cult of the Damned the plague was spread. Many of Lordaeron's northern villages were contaminated almost immediately. Just as in Northrend, the citizens who contracted the plague died and arose as the Lich King's willing slaves. The cultists under Kel'Thuzad were eager to die and be raised again in their dark lord's service. They exulted in the prospect of immortality through undeath. As the plague spread, more and more feral zombies arose in the northlands. Kel'Thuzad looked upon the Lich King's growing army and named it the Scourge, for soon it would march upon the gates of Lordaeron and scour humanity from the face of the world

Though Ner'zhul and his undead Scourge were bound to the will of the Burning Legion, the Lich King constantly strove to free himself and gain vengeance upon the demons for dismembering his body and damning him so completely. To this end, he sought a champion to carry out his will and decided that Prince Arthas Menethil would be the perfect choice. During the Scourging of Lordaeron, Arthas became increasingly enraged at the devastation the undead caused and sought to end their threat by any means necessary, including culling a city. This would lead the young prince to Northrend, the roof of the world. There, the Scourge engaged in combat with the 1st Legion and Dwarven Expedition, which would eventually team up and proceed to Mal'Ganis' citadel. Fearing of being overwhelmed, Arthas would obtain the runeblade Frostmourne and kill the nathrezim, who he had thought was in command of the Scourge. It was there that the whispers of the Lich King guided Arthas into becoming Ner'zhul's champion and the greatest of his death knights. Arthas returned to his soldiers and killed them, raising them as Scourge.

Thus, the Burning Legion lord known as Archimonde was summoned into the world in order to lead the invasion of Azeroth. He immediately placed the Nathrezim Dreadlords in charge of the Scourge that were to be used to aid the demons onslaught. Unknown to the Burning Legion, the Lich King bid his time in order to free himself from the shackles of his masters.

Overview

In appearance, the Scourge was a vast army that consisted of undead from various races. They were created by the Lich King unleashing the Plague of Undeath in the inhabited regions south of Northrend where the disease killed the living and reanimated them as mindless undead.

A Scourgestone was an item given to all Scourge upon 'birth' or creation. It provides certain benefits to the holder, but more importantly it provides Scourge leaders insight into the location and movement of their units.

A key part of the Scourge was the Cult of the Damned that consisted of living cultists known as acolytes. High ranking members of the cult were its Necromancers who had the power to raise the dead.

Among its army, the Scourge fielded many forms of undead beings that included:

• Ghouls :
• Crypt Fiends : the reanimated bodies of Nerubians that were used to provide ranged weapon fire for the Scourge.
• Abominations : twisted, mutilated undead creatures composed of multiple dead limbs and body parts from many different corpses. They are enormous warriors, scarred by loose stitchings and putrid, open sores. They love to carve flesh and tear their enemies apart. The slow-moving and dull-witted abominations constantly drip blood and smell like disease-ridden slaughterhouses. They carry large cleavers into combat and wield various sickle-bladed hooks on their disproportionate limb.
• Crypt Lords : giant reanimated Nerubians who were former kings of Azjol-Nerub who were turned into powerful generals of the Lich King.
• Lich :
• Death Knights : fallen paladins who became embittered over being ostracised by the living leading to them falling under the Lich King's power. They came to serve as the Scourge's mightiest generals where they were armed with black vampiric Runeblades and shadowy steeds.
• Frost Wyrms :

The Scourge was based in the frozen lands of Northrend situated in the north of Azeroth. Their leader was centred at the Frozen Throne which served as a receptacle of the Lich King's power.

During the Scourge's rise to power, they came to overrun the Nerubian ziggurat known as Naxxramas. Through the Lich King's power, dark forces caused the underground fortress to rise into the sky and become a flying citadel with this necropolis serving as a mobile of operations. In the Third War, the regions of the Eastern Kingdom were heavily infected by the undead leading to them being called the Plaguelands that contained high quantities of Scourge forces.

Members

• Ner'zhul : formerly an Orc Shaman from Draenor whose soul survived the destruction of his homeworld but was taken by the demon lords of the Burning Legion who twisted him into becoming the Lich King.
• Arthas Menethil :
• Tichondrius : a male Nathrezim Dreadlord who was among others of his kind that were sent as overseers of the Scourge and used to keep watch over the Lich King.
• Anub'arak : a male Nerubian Cryptlord who was once a king of his people until he was killed and resurrected to serve as a General in the Scourge.
• Bolvar Fordragon :
• Kel'thuzad : a human mage of Dalaran who became dissatisfied with his life and heart the call of the Lich King where he became a necromancer that looked to spread the plague to the human lands. He was killed by Arthas Menethil but this was foreseen by the Lich king with Kel'thuzad's soul surviving and being reborn as a Lich.
• Sylvanas Windrunner : a female High Elf ranger-general who attempted to defend Quel'thalas from the Scourge leading to her confronting the Death Knight Arthas Menethil. Ultimately, she was defeated and Arthas cursed her with undeath leading to her becoming a banshee. Afterwards, she managed to be freed from the Lich King's control and became the ruler of the undead Forsaken.
• Alexandros Mograine :
• Darion Mograine :
• Darkmaster Gandling :

Notes

• The Scourge were created by Blizzard Entertainment and featured in the setting of the Warcraft universe.
• They were introduced as a playable faction in Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos.

Appearances

• Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos:
• Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne:
• World of Warcraft:

External Links

• World of Warcraft Gamepedia Entry

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